Boards & Tools

Information

Iseled

The next generation of in-car ambient lighting will typically comprise of 10 to 30 LEDs mounted on a flexible light strip. Each 'group' consists of one red, green and blue LED to form a 'pixel', which is then intelligently controlled by the ISELED smart RGB LED driver, effectively replacing the present cumbersome and costly work-around utilizing multiple microcontrollers and a slow LIN bus.

Lighting

Information

About inova

Founded in 1999, Inova Semiconductors GmbH is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Munich, Germany. It specializes in the development of state-of-the-art products for Gigabit/s serial data communication.

APIX, the serial pixel link technology, was developed for the automotive market. By all accounts, the automotive sector is a challenging market. Our semiconductor products fulfill and even exceed automotive quality standards, but this achievement alone does not guarantee a functional system, capable of meeting our customer's expectations. Many parameters influence the performance, robustness and continuous stability of a Gigabit serial link. Careful selection of components, as well as dedicated design of the high-speed transmission lines on the board are as important as the selection of appropriate physical layer components, such as connectors, cables and ties. Understanding and predicting the effects of environmental stress and aging are key for ensuring the longevity of the cable harness and the functionality of the APIX link itself. By leveraging the inbuilt diagnostic features of APIX it is possible to continuously monitor the quality of the link during operation and throughout the life time of the device. Simulation of critical sectors can prevent multiple hardware redesigns.

Together with a proper understanding of jitter, RF transmission mechanisms and the impact of electromagnetic interference, the right tools and test equipment helps to validate, confirm and debug the robustness of the system design. Therefore, these tools and test equipment are key to ensuring compliance with the APIX standard.